Thursday, November 14, 2013

Kurt Busch's "last chance" to win for Furniture Row Racing

Kurt Busch posted at 20/1 odds to win at Homestead
DENVER (Nov. 13, 2013) – Closing out the season at a racetrack where he achieved his greatest moment as a NASCAR driver, Kurt Busch is looking for some more magic at Homestead-Miami Speedway, site of Sunday’s final Sprint Cup Series race of 2013.

It was at the 1.5-mile intermediate South Florida track where Busch held off Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon to capture the 2004 Cup championship, the first year of NASCAR’s Chase playoff format.

“Since 2004 there’s been a nostalgic feeling when I get to Homestead,” said Busch. “Winning the championship in the first year of the Chase was a magical time for me. But right now the focus is on the present, not the past.

“This will be my final ride with Furniture Row Racing and I want to make it a good one. We have plenty to shoot for when the green flag drops on Sunday.”

Busch, who is coming off a fifth-place finish at Phoenix, is positioned in 10th place in the Chase driver point standings.

“We want to be 10th or better in the final point standings,” said Busch, a seven-time Chase participant. “Being in the top-10 not only has a better ring to it, but it shows how far this single-car team out of Colorado has come in a short period of time and how well it has fared against the big dogs of the sport.”

An added perk for finishing in the top-10 is that Busch would be invited to speak at the NASCAR’s awards banquet, Dec. 6 at the Wynn Hotel in his hometown of Las Vegas.

But there’s more to shoot for at Homestead than a podium appearance at the annual awards gala.

“This is our last chance to take the Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet to Victory Lane,” said Busch, a 2002 winner at Homestead. “There’s nothing I want more for these Furniture Row guys who have worked so hard all year to give me a fast race car.

“Though we have a bunch of top-fives (11) and top-10s (16) we don’t have that W. A victory would cap off an already successful season for our single-car team. It’s been a great ride with a great bunch of guys and with an outstanding organization led by team owner Barney Visser.”

Speaking of top fives, Busch is tied for third with 11 top-five finishes this season. He also is one top-five finish shy of equaling his most top-fives in a season of 12, set in 2002.

Busch has also scored three top-five finishes in the nine Chase races. He was fourth in the Chase opener at Chicago, second at Kansas and fifth at Phoenix.

“Outside of those three races we seemed to have hit a brick wall in the Chase,” noted Busch. “But to finish fifth last week was a big moment and gives us plenty of momentum heading into Homestead.”

                                                      Busch’s 2013 Sprint Cup Series Results
Date
Event
St
Fn
Laps
Led
Status
Money
Points
Standing
2/24
Daytona 500
11
28
195/200
0
Running
336,234
16
26
3/3
Phoenix
25
27
315/316
0
Running
102,920
17/33
29
3/10
Las Vegas
24
20
266/267
0
Running
129,275
24/57
29
3/17
Bristol
19
4
500/500
1
Running
134,255
41/98
16
3/24
Fontana
10
5
200/200
0
Running
146,585
39/137
13
4/7
Martinsville
19
37
457/500
0
Accident
102,961
7/144
19
4/13
Fort Worth
2
37
316/334
0
Running
117,603
7/151
24
4/21
Kansas
13
15
267/267
0
Running
112,855
29/180
22
4/27
Richmond
14
9
406/406
36
Running
114,630
36/216
20
5/5
Talladega
33
30
182/192
2
Accident
116,325
15/231
20
5/11
Darlington
1
14
367/367
69
Running
122,975
31/262
18
5/26
Charlotte
2
3
400/400
8
Running
218,560
42/304
18
6/2
Dover
13
12
400/400
8
Running
128,575
33/337
17
6/9
Pocono
20
7
200/200
0
Running
119,430
37/374
15
6/16
Michigan
2
35
193/200
21
Running
107,340
10/384
20
6/23
Sonoma
7
4
110/110
15
Running
154,860
41/425
17
6/30
Kentucky
27
6
267/267
0
Running
116,455
38/463
14
7/6
Daytona
22
6
161/161
0
Running
150,485
38/501
9
7/14
N. Hampshire
2
31
283/302
102
Running
110,430
15/516
14
7/28
Indianapolis
6
14
160/160
0
Running
192,270
30/546
14
8/4
Pocono
5
3
160/160
9
Running
153,930
42/588
13
8/11
Watkins Glen
13
9
90/90
0
Running
111,330
35/623
11
8/18
Michigan
2
3
200/200
43
Running
136,315
42/665
9
8/24
Bristol
2
31
476/500
54
Running
122,740
14/679
12
9/1
Atlanta
32
4
325/325
0
Running
65,235
40/719
10
9/7
Richmond
2
2
400/400
73
Running
185,355
43/821*
8*
9/15
Chicagoland
16
4
267/267
0
Running
169,960
40/2040
6
9/22
N. Hampshire
4
13
300/300
0
Running
115,830
31/2071
7
9/29
Dover
9
21
397/400
0
Running
108,155
23/2094
9
10/6
Kansas
19
2
267/267
0
Running
229,810
42/2136
7
10/12
Charlotte
10
14
333/334
0
Running
110,280
30/2166
7
10/20
Talladega
30
18
188/188
3
Running
113,030
27/2193
9
10/27
Martinsville
19
18
499/500
0
Running
109,155
26/2219
9
11/3
Fort Worth
31
17
333/334
0
Running
133,505
27/2246
10
11/10
Phoenix
8
5
312/312
0
Running
137,630
39/2285
10
                                              Avg. Start: 13.54  Avg. Finish: 14.51   Laps Led:  444   Top 5s: 11   Top 10s: 16
                                  Poles: 1  Outside Poles: 7   Money: $4,837,283      *Reseeded 10th after Chase points were reset

                      Busch’s Career Record Homestead-Miami Speedway

Year
Start
Finish
Status/Laps
Laps Led
Earnings
2000
10
19
Running, 264/267
0
$50,300
2001
32
23
Running, 267/267
0
49,550
2002
1
1
Running, 267/267
28
297,100
2003
7
36
Running, 147/267
0
63,760
2004
1
5
Running, 271/271
4
130,650
2005
DNE
2006
36
43
Accident, 9/268
0
100,506
2007
5
2
Running, 267/267
17
263,808
2008
38
43
Accident, 207/267
0
61,876
2009
12
4
Running, 267/267
43
157,275
2010
15
18
Running, 267/267
0
112,898
2011
4
34
Running, 220/267
0
108,450
2012
26
9
Running, 267/267
0
107,318

Homestead-Miami Speedway Totals
Races
Win
T5
T10
Pole
Laps Led
Laps Completed
AvgSt
AvgFn
DNF
Money
12
1
4
5
2
92
2720 of 3209 – 84.8%
15.6
19.8
2
$1,503,491
 
Furniture Row Over-the-Wall Crew
Front-tire changerMatt Humphries, Conover, N.C.
Front-tire carrierThad Wymer, Thomasville, N.C.
Rear-tire changerJake Lind, Welcome, N.C.
Rear-tire carrierJosh Sobecki, New Kensington, Pa.
JackmanBrian Gainey, Moline, Ill.
GasmanMilan Rudanovic, Sussex, N.J.
2nd GasmanRyan Bergenty, Plainville, Conn.
Furniture Row Road Crew
General ManagerJoe Garone, Denver, Colo.
Crew ChiefTodd Berrier, Kernersville, N.C. 
Competition DirectorPete Rondeau, Saco, Maine
Car ChiefBlake Harris, Maypearl, Texas
EngineersCole Pearn, London, Ontario,  Matt Faulkner, Memphis, Tenn. 
SpottersRick Carelli, Arvada, Colo., Clayton Hughes, Thomasville, N.C. 
Engine Specialist/BuilderScott Meesters, Hanford, Calif., Earnhardt-Childress Racing
Shock SpecialistNick Kerlin, Old Fort, Ohio
Tire Specialist Chad Krauch, Loveland, Colo.
Technical SupportMichael McCullough, Imperial, Calif. 
MechanicsRyan Bergenty, Plainville, Conn. , Gary Frost, Romeo, Mich.
Transportation
Henry Benfield (also gas runner) Statesville, N.C.  
Jason Churgin, San Fernando Valley, Calif., Jim Gilbert, Belleville, IL.
Dave Hicks, Montcalm, WVa. Chuck Lemay, DeKalb, IL

- DMF Communications for Furniture Row Racing

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